If you are a highly skilled freelancer trying to sell various skills and business is still quiet, you may not be doing enough to convince potential clients. If your skills are HTML, CSS and Photoshop, there are likely thousands of ‘great’ web designers competing for the same type of work.

Learn how to sell your service more effectively by looking at who can gain from your experience and what they might be looking for.

Develop your competitive advantage

It’s not about the skills you possess but it certainly is about how they benefit the needs of your client. Instead of selling your skills, sell the benefit your clients receive as a result of purchasing your service.

In an increasingly crowded market, how you sell your service and what you identify as your strength makes all the difference.

Sell benefits

The benefits you provide can range from something tangible such as increasing revenue, profitability and customers, to intangible benefits such as savings in time, zero hassles and peace of mind.

In the above example, the ordinary pitch focused on the skill while the benefits pitch focused on the client and their business needs.

Which one do you think is more effective?

By showing benefits, you are addressing the pain points of your client. You are showing them that the ability to grow their business and save time will in the long term outweigh the cost of your service.

Take an example of a guitar instructor, selling guitar coaching:

Customer’s pain points:

Unable to get the basics right

Lacking consistency

Not practicing enough

Solutions offered:

Simple and friendly instructions to get the basics right

Accountability structure and reminders to help you develop consistency

Enjoy playing guitar so that practicing becomes a natural part of your day

Benefits used in sales pitch:

Master the basics using a unique instruction kit

Develop consistency in your practice

Make practicing guitar natural and effortless

Sales becomes an almost natural outcome when your customer understands that the cost of your time is unimportant compared to the value you bring to their business. The key to selling services is to offer something that your client genuinely wants.

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